


Far, far away and further still

by skylarkphantomemperor



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Day 2, Dreams, M/M, Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prince Prompto Argentum, Promptis Week 2018, The Tale of the Sleeping Prince AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-25 14:52:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14979506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skylarkphantomemperor/pseuds/skylarkphantomemperor
Summary: Black and white and blueThe prince sleeps in his throneWhite and blue and blackHe shall sleep time and backBlue and black and whiteHe wakes on Shiva’s night.Prompto Argentum is the ‘Empty Prince’, the bastard son of the late Niflheim emperor, Emperor Besithia. Even royal by blood, his own father and the other nobles treat him as if he doesn’t exist. He doesn’t have anything worthy of a prince. The only noteworthy things he has are his quicksilver gun and his iron boots.So he dreams.In his dreams, he is in another kingdom. He pets dogs of a very beautiful lady and his brother, friends to a handsome prince and his loyal retainers and is happily in love with the said prince. Also, he plays tag with a fox-like creature called Carbuncle.When said dream creature appears to him in flesh one day, he is given the choice to leave his current life behind; to go to the prince of his dreams and break the enchantment keeping the prince in eternal sleep.So off he goes to Insomnia, a kingdom far, far away and further still.





	Far, far away and further still

**Author's Note:**

> My contribution for Promptis Week 2018 Day 2. Prompts used: Prince Prompto, “I wish that I knew what makes you think I’m so special.”
> 
> Also this was inspired by a fairy tale called the "The Sleeping Prince" and I changed some elements to sort of fit the plot for Final Fantasy. The title also came from a quote of the said story. See end notes for a link of the said fairy tale.
> 
> Hope you like it.

Once upon a time, in a kingdom of grey, cold and metal called Niflheim, there lived a prince named Prompto. He had hair color of gold, eyes a blend of blue and red and skin kissed by the stars.

Prompto wasn’t like any other prince, oh no. You see, he wasn’t really a pure-blood prince. He is what most people call him, a bastard child. Even though his father is the Emperor Verstael Besithia, his mother is a mere commoner servant. So he is not Prompto Besithia, he is merely Prompto Argentum.

Throughout his life, he was called the ‘Empty Prince’. He was the prince who had nothing. His own father, his older royal pureblooded brothers and the majority of Niflheim’s nobility treats him as if he doesn’t exist. He lives in the palace stables and wears thread-bare clothes that barely keep him warm. The only noteworthy things he has are his quicksilver gun and iron boots, the only thing his mother could give him before her untimely death. His life is a sad and lonely one.

But still, Prompto tried to be happy and smile. He is fine having a roof over his head, eating stale bread and royal kitchen leftovers three times a day and a bed of hay to sleep. He doesn’t even mind tending and living with horses. He’s happy with what he has, as long as he doesn’t feel that empty feeling of being miserable. But sometimes, he can’t help but feel just that.

So he dreams.

Prompto never told anyone about his dreams. Who would even care to listen? But he could tell that his dreams aren’t just those ordinary dreams that everyone’s been having every night. When he was younger, he used to have dreadful nightmares of being trapped in a dark space and being tormented by shadowy creatures that made him cry every night. But strange enough, when he turned fifteen, his first peaceful dream was that of a fox-like creature. The said creature circled around him, rubbed against him and gestured Prompto to follow him.

And follow did Prompto do.

That was the happiest choice he’d ever made. The dream creature led him to a castle. It was a castle so huge and black in motif but ten times better than that of Niflheim. For one, its castle had better gardens, more rooms and of course, more accommodating inhabitants.

It was there that he met Prince Noctis.

The dream creature had guided Prompto inside the castle, towards the throne room where it finally perched on a shoulder of a sleeping young man in a throne about Prompto’s age. He had hair black as the midnight sky, pale white skin and eyes of the deep blue sea as he slowly woke up from sleeping his throne. The young man gave a puzzled look at Prompto before smiling and offering his hand to him.

Since then, Prompto dreamt of the castle, and of Noctis and his friends. There, he was treated not just like a prince, but also a person.

He just turned twenty now this year. Five years of good dreams: of petting dogs with a beautiful Lady Luna and her brother Ravus, cooking and eating delicious food with Ignis, rough-housing with the Gladio and Iris, playing tag with Carbuncle (the dream creature) and being with Noctis.

Prompto never thought he would fall in love with the prince that existed only in his dreams.

Which also kind of made him sad, since it was all just a dream.

...

At least, that was until he saw Carbuncle in the flesh on the stables one winter day.

At first, Prompto couldn’t believe his eyes. He thought he was dreaming and pinched himself so he would wake up. But Carbuncle was still there.

“Hello Prompto.” Carbuncle yipped at him.

“Y-you’re real?”

“Of course I am!” Carbuncle said. “Do you not want me to?”

“No!” Prompto answered, quickly. “I just, you were in my dreams!”

“Yes I was.” Carbuncle confirmed. “But I’m here now, and I’m here to ask you to save Noctis!”

“N-noctis?” Prompto stuttered. “He’s real too?”

“Everyone in the castle is real, silly.” Carbuncle leaned its head on one side.

“They are?”

“Yes!” Carbuncle chimed.

“Where are they?” Prompto asked. “And what do you mean by ‘save Noctis’?

“I’ll explain. Now listen to me carefully, Prompto.” Carbuncle said.

_“Black and white and blue_

_The prince sleeps in his throne_

_White and blue and black_

_He shall sleep time and back_

_Blue and black and white_

_He wakes on Shiva’s night.”_

“You see Prompto,” Carbuncle starts. “Noctis lives in Insomnia, a kingdom far, far away and further still. Years ago, there was a being called the Accursed and creatures called daemons that threatened the land. In those dark times, Noctis and his retainers stood up against the evil Accursed and defeated him, casting him away to the beyond. But before the Accursed breathed his final breath, he cast an enchantment that made Noctis sleep an eternal sleep, along with the entire kingdom. He would sleep throughout the year except for one day: Shiva’s Night. The spell could only be broken when someone of a kind and loyal heart will stay by his side, so that he will see the person when he awakes.”

“And you think that person with the kind and loyal heart is me?” Prompto asked in a small voice.

“I do, silly.” Carbuncle yipped. “You love Noctis with all your heart even when he was only in your dreams, didn’t you?”

Prompto blushed. “I-I did. But I’m just an ‘Empty Prince’, I have nothing.”

“You have all you need, Prompto.” Carbuncle said. “You have a heart.”

Prompto thought about it. He really wanted to help and see Noctis. Maybe, he could try. “Where’s the castle? How do I get to Insomnia?”

“I’m not really sure.” Carbuncle said, ears dropping. “All I know is that it somewhere far, far away and further still, so that to get there, you will need to wear that iron boots of yours.”

“It must be very, very far.” Prompto said.

“It is.” Carbuncle said. “Maybe the Astrals could help you find Insomnia. But be warned, not all them like humans. You should start towards the Gralea region. I heard there is one there.”

“Right, Gralea it is.” Prompto said. “Thank you, Carbuncle.”

“You’re welcome!” Carbuncle yipped. “Good Luck, Prompto!”

With that, Carbuncle vanished, leaving Prompto alone in the stables.

Prompto, determined to help Noctis, got his silver gun and iron boots which he wore. He then, gathered food and supplies and left the stable and Niflheim without a word.

That was the last anyone in Niflheim ever heard of Prompto.

…

Prompto continued for Gralea in his iron boots. He walked far, far away and further still until he reached vast snowy plains. He just walked straight through, determined to get to Insomnia. By late evening, he stumbled upon Shiva’s plain where he saw the said Astral, sitting down on a mount of snow, waiting for him.

“What are you looking for, human child?” Shiva asked.

“I am searching for a way to Insomnia," Prompto said. "Do you know where it is?” he asked.

“No” Shiva answered. “But I can give you something to eat and drink, then you must go back to where you came from. The journey is far too long for you.”

“No,” Prompto said. “I must go on.”

“If you must, you must,” Shiva said. “I’ll offer you shelter for the night. If you’re really determined, make haste for Tenebrae, to the Accordo region. In a place called Altissia, there lives Leviathan. Maybe she knows the way to Insomnia. But beware, she’s not fond of humans. Good luck, child.” She kisses Prompto’s head and vanishes.

…

The next day Prompto continued for Altissia with his iron boots. He walked and walked for days and dreamt of Noctis during the night. He reached Leviathan (who was really not fond of humans, Prompto ended up getting splashed) who led him to Angelgard to meet with Ramuh (who was actually nice despite the accidental electric shocks) who led him to the Disc of Cauthess to ask Titan (who sort of almost crushed him) who pointed him to the ruins of Solheim where Ifrit is. Prompto walked far, far away and further still.

Ifrit, it seems, hates humans so much. But for some reason, he doesn’t try to burn Prompto.

“Foolish mortal,” Ifrit mocked. “Trying to reach Insomnia? Even if I know the way, I won’t tell you. Turn back.”

“But I must go on.” Prompto said.

“Suppose I did tell you that the way to Insomnia is straight ahead _and_ told you that a very dangerous dragon guards that kingdom’s gate and going near him means instant death.” Ifrit said. “Would you still continue, foolish child?”

“I must.” Prompto insists. “I must go to him.”

Ifrit lets out a painful sigh. “Mortals nowadays are getting more stubborn.” He glared at Prompto. “You’re lucky my dear Shiva gave you her protection or I would have burned you to ashes.”

He gives Prompto a burning rose. “Here, take this, mortal. When you reach upon that old grumpy dragon by the gates, present this fire of peace and perhaps, that old dragon may not kill you.”

Prompto takes the fiery rose and walked towards the kingdom far, far away and further still.

…

He reaches Insomnia many nights later, his iron boots now very worn out. And indeed, does he see a dragon by the gates. Prompto almost turned back if not for the thought he was nearing his goal. It’s just; it’s not just some dragon, like Prompto imagined from Ifrit’s rants.

It was Bahamut itself.

With shaking hands, Prompto wordlessly offered the burning rose to the Draconian who looked at him in silent approval and stepped aside the gates to let him in.

“In you go, brave mortal,” Bahamut said. “You have journeyed far, far away and further still. Dream no more. Break the Accursed’s enchantment once and for all.”

Prompto went inside the castle and saw everyone and everything asleep. He went straight for the throne room where his friends lay sleeping: Iris by the door, Luna and Ravus meters from her, Ignis and Gladio near the stairs leading to the throne, and to the throne itself, where Noctis sat sleeping.

He sat by the foot of the throne and waited for Shiva’s night to come. For some reason, every day and night, there was food for him to eat placed at the foot of the throne. When he tasted it for the first time, it reminded him of all those delicious food that Ignis cooked in his dreams.

How peculiar.

…

Days, weeks and months passed. Prompto sat every night and waited for Noctis to wake up. And at long last, Shiva’s night finally came. But Prompto had no idea because he long lost track of days. He just waited and waited.

When midnight struck, the clock tower which had long been silent now chimed. On the twelfth chime, Noctis began to yawn, opened his eyes and saw Prompto in his ragged, thread-bare clothes and worn out iron boots.

“Finally, the spell is broken.” Noctis yawned again. “Wow, my back and butt hurts so much right now after sleeping in this throne for so long.”

“Well, you had it coming, Sleeping Prince.” Prompto teased.

Down the throne, everyone else started to wake up: Ignis, Gladio, Luna, Ravus, Iris, the servants and every other people in the kingdom. Soon, everyone was bustling in noise. But Noctis ignored the shouts of celebration, for he was busy staring at Prompto.

“I-I-” Prompto tried to start a conversation but got tongue-tied. “Hey there, Prince Noctis. I’m Prompto. N-nice to finally meet you out of my dreams.”

“Don’t I know you?” Noctis teased. “So ‘Empty Prince’, was it?”

“I, um.”

“Hey, Carbuncle told me something interesting before I woke up.” Noctis said, leaning closer to Prompto. “He said you ‘like’ me too. Very much. Even if we met in a dream.”

“I- that’s-” Prompto blushed. “Wait, what do you by ‘me too’?”

“Ah, I kind of  ‘like’ you too.” Noctis confessed. “Even we met in a dream.”

Prompto could feel himself turning red and his stomach felt like full of butterflies. “I wish that I knew what makes you think I’m so special.” He mutters.

“Have you seen yourself?” Noctis said indignantly. “Even wearing those clothes, you still look beautiful.” He smiles at Prompto. “And you literally walked far, far away and further still just to break the enchantment. You must be really in love with me to go that far.”

“ _You’re_ the one looks beautiful!” Prompto replies defensively. “I- I just had to try, you know. Those dreams with you are all that I have back in Niflheim besides my clothes, really.” Noctis frowned a bit at the mention of Niflheim.  “A-and I do really love you.” Prompto adds, flustered, which made Noctis smile again.

“Me too.”

Noctis offered his hand to Prompto. Just like in the dream when they first met.

“You with me?”

“Ever at your side.”

And the two princes lived happily ever after, far, far away and further still.

**Author's Note:**

> And here's me procrastinating for the 2nd time. Whew, this fic made me lose sleep again. The things I do for my fandoms.  
> Promptis forever.
> 
> Link to The Sleeping Prince: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/oct/13/fairytales-the-sleeping-prince
> 
> I love this fandom. Feel free to fangirl with me on:  
> tumblr: skylarkphantomemperor  
> twitter: @ReisiAo


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